Be It In The Stars
by LOinOP
Summary: Villains aren't born committing capital crimes, which is why Macavity wasn't always the villain- and for a time he wasn't the only one of Deuteronomy's sons to rebel so devastatingly. Magic runs deep in Deuteronomy's lineage leaving little room for error and a lot of opportunity for disaster in the wrong hands... like Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, and Macavity's.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi!**

**So I know I promised a different story earlier this summer but plans didn't work out and this happened. My first story as LOinOP so please be as ruthless and mean as you possibly can! All constructive criticism is welcome!**

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The night is cool and light with the euphoric ebbing of the Jellicle moon; music and laughter dance across the the tops of junk piles, trees, and curt breezes. An occasional tune escapes the gates of Rosenhour's Scrap, the sanctuary that houses felinity of the most esteemed kind: the Jellicles.

Yes the Jellicles. A most talented and peculiar tribe that has a knack for being especially expressive in their divinity as they routinely open up the gates into the Heaviside Layer, begin their melodious songs in the tune of C, and handle the most important pieces entrusted to them by the Messiah himself.

On this particular night they are hosting the most impressive of celebrations: the Jellicle Ball.

This year's ball proves to be something unique as, for the very first time, instead of procuring an heir to ascend to the kingdom of the Heaviside Layer, two new heirs to the Jellicle tribe will be bestowed upon them.

"Oh Deuteronomy go on with the ball without me. I- Aarh!"

A Jellicle queen and a handful of Jellicle toms stumble along a moonlit path carved out between towers of scrap metal and discarded furniture. The queen nearly collapses to her knees as she's taken with another contraction, her beautiful face contorted in pain and her breath coming in harsh pants. But the toms keep her on her feet. She curses and spits at them for their efforts.

Deuteronomy, the leader of the Jellicle tribe, loving mate, and current father of one (and counting!) totters behind the group with his son Macavity in tow. "No worries, my dear Grizabella!" he wheezes and gasps, "There's always next year!"

One of the toms holding the queen's arm chuckles. "You'll have to send two up to even the score."

"Why don't I send you up right now, you blabbering tit!" shrieked the writhing Grizabella before grabbing a handful of fur and bearing down with all her might.

This prompts a sudden hysteria amongst the toms and within moments she was crossing the threshold of a den she was sure would be tens of minutes away. She lay on her back upon the nest at the far end of the den and set to the task of delivering her young as swiftly as physically possible. Deuteronomy took his post at her side with utmost pride while the son Macavity was set to the side where he wouldn't be in the way.

IA gaggle of queens pushed into the den after them and set to mussing with the blankets, fussing over the labouring mother, and cussing over the those mussing with the blankets. At the first sight of blood all but two of the group remained at the bedside: Jennyanydots and Jellylorum.

"Now," began Jennyanydots as she knelt between the queen's bent knees, holding a clean blanket at the ready to catch the first kitten, "Let's hope the kittens won't be too shy and be out of there by sunrise."

"Oh please!" cheered Deuteronomy while his mate pushed and strained and breathed and spat.

After quite a while- which was much too long not to be worried- Grizabella began to grow tired and listless and a kitten had yet to make an appearance. Deuteronomy had grown silent though he tried his best to look hopeful and excited whenever he caught the wandering eye of his mate and son.

Jennyanydots looked nervously to Jellylorum who then turned to the kitten Macavity still standing post in the corner. "Let us go find your momma some water. She must be very thirsty." With a nervous glance at his mother, Macavity nodded and let the old queen lead him out of the den.

"Something's wrong," Grizabella cried when her son had left. "Nothing's happening-"

"No, I see the little bugger," Jennyanydots murmured. "I see his bum- your first here is a tom by the way."

"Fan-TASTIC!" One hard shove and the kitten's bottom half had all but burst forth into the awaiting hands of the stoic midwife. With no time to spare the old queen lifted the dark kitten's rear in the air and pulled him free of his mother.

Deuteronomy sighed at the sight of his second son, writhing slowly in Jenny's grasp and took it from her to gently clean away the birth fluids while the two queens busy with the rest of the litter. The kitten hadn't made a single sound.

Unlike its brother this second kitten did not seem too keen on drawing out its grand entrance (or exit, if you will); his descent was announced with horrible cries from its poor mother as it, thankfully, crowned. "Face up," Jennyanydots sighed. "I hope for your sake this is the last of 'em."

"He's too quiet." Deuteronomy murmured, the kitten in his paws moving lethargically but having yet to make a bid at mewling.

Neither queen heard him over Grizabella's final screams with the second and last kitten blooming in Jennyanydots' paws. Within moments of birth the slimy thing fought gallantly against its protective sac demanding his freedom. This kitten, who was also male, wasted no time in screaming his horrible abuse to the world. Grizabella reached for the noisy thing to hug tightly to her chest, gasping with joy while shushing him as she groomed the mess out of his damp fur.

In his paws, Deuteronomy felt the tiny mucus-coated kitten jerk and startle at his brother's surprisingly strong and strident cries. The tiny newborn too began to cry just as the midwife reached for him, her knit brows relaxing with a sigh as the two kittens' mewls filled the den. "He just needed a little badgering, poor thing." With her finger she traced the white of his muzzle and popped her pinky into his wide mouth to suckle on.

Someone outside must have heard the commotion for Deuteronomy could hear a few cheers; many later tried to catch a glimpse of the new Jellicles through the open curtain as Jellylorum and Macavity ducked in with blankets and pitchers of water.

At the sight of his new brothers Macavity paused. "What are their names?" he asked, pouting into his pitcher of water. He watched Jellylorum move to see the newborns, aww-ing and coochie-cooing at the useless things in his parents' arms.

"We don't know yet, why don't you come and help us decide?" Grizabella smiled at her red-furred tom-kit, reaching for him as he tentatively drew closer to get a better look at the muddy-blond kitten suckling at her chest. It felt wrong to Macavity that his mother be petting him while her new favourite kittens lay upon her, both much more soft and small and cute than he. The other kitten was just a plain grey and white tabby, his nose so pink it reminded him of the carnations on his mother's favourite pillow. "This one was born first," she said as she lifted the white and grey one higher on her chest so he lay squished up against his littler brother.

"I wanna name them Rupert and Stiles."

"An excellent choice, but these kittens already have names." Macavity spooked and spun to the entrance of the den where an older tom was timidly eyeing the family from afar. The young tom-kit immediately recognized him as the self-proclaimed oracle, tribe prophet, and the best friend of his unfortunate father. His bright yellow eyes hardened when they landed on the young Macavity.

"Vahtise!" Deuteronomy boomed, smile so wide his back teeth glimmered in the candlelight. "I was surprised you weren't here to catch the babes yourself; you seemed so keen on being here every step of the way."

Jennyanydots and Jellylorum snickered. "If Vahtise thinks he can catch a fresh kitten he's welcome to deliver the next one," Jelly teased, taking the pitcher from Macavity and pouring into a cup.

The tom named Vahtise, a plain black tom, smiled shyly and moved in to greet Deuteronomy with a warm hug. "I just thought childbirth was something to be handled by the... erm... experts. I can honestly say I've seen one live birth in my time and I'm convinced I wouldn't even see to my own kitten's birth. Such horrible-"

"Well, now that you're here you can welcome the new princes with us," Grizabella laughed, offering her paw for him to kiss in greeting, which he took cautiously. Possibly having heard first hand the abuse she inflicted on the other toms who brought her here.

Deuteronomy reached out and gently caressed the small curls of the newborns' spines, his even breaths tapered at the ends. "Leave us." Jennyanydots and Jellylorum hmphed and hmmed but did as they were told, taking the sullied blankets and towels along with them.

Macavity frowned as the family friend leaned in to sniff and peer at his new brothers- not that he particularly cared for them. "What are their names, soothsayer?" he asked impatiently.

Vahtise straightened himself up and smiled. "May I?" he whispered, pointing to the one who grew blond fur in his face, tail and limbs; it wasn't entirely clear whether the brown spots that sprinkled the yellow were bits left over from the birth or actual colourings. Grizabella nodded and lifted the poor kit from her chest and handed him to Vahtise. It kicked and let out an indignant mew as he was turned over and over again in the adult's grasp.

"This one here is a pretty lucky little thing," he began, staring blankly, almost entranced, at the kitten's face. "His name is Rum Tum Tugger and I can assure you his strong will isn't going anywhere.

"I see him growing up in sunlight- in fact his likeness will mirror the sun, with bright golden fur he will enchant everyone he meets. Like the sun he too will burn bright and hot; prosperity and happiness will follow him and his crown of gold. But he must be careful, for prosperity is a dangerous illusion that, if one looks upon it too long, they shall become blind to what's really important."

From below Macavity scoffed. "Rum Tum Tugger is a stupid name."

"Macavity!" Deuteronomy hissed, "I will have silence from you."

"Maybe, but it's the one he chose, just as you had chosen yours. Rum Tum Tugger is the son of the brightest hours and will flourish and blossom when the sun is at its strongest."

That certainly got the red tabby kitten's attention. Hurt and worry caused him to bite his lip and ask, "So he's just like me?"

Vahtise's eyes grew wide and looked to Deuteronomy for help, luckily the kit's father understood enough about their... predicament, to explain it so as a kitten would understand. At least a little bit. "No, Macavity, you find your strength in the Twilight, my dawn devil."

"Daad!"

"May I see the other prince?" Deuteronomy took little Rum Tum Tugger with a proud grin though it was clear he was deathly curious about the other kitten as well.

The moment the kitten was lifted from his mother's chest Vahtise adopted a rather unprovoked and gloomy air about him. With a quiet sigh he raised the grey kit to his face and searched for something to smile about. Apparently only Macavity noticed for his parents looked on with unshaken excitement. Finally Vahtise spoke, his mouth tightened and fought to hide the slight quiver of... fear? "The child is blind."

"_Blind_?!" repeated Grizabella quizzically. "But Jennyanydots didn't mention-"

"Jennyanydots didn't know as his eyes haven't opened yet."

"Then how did you-?"

"Because I just know," he murmured as he flipped the kitten onto its back so that it lay cradled in the crook of his arm. Macavity wasn't sure he wanted his little brother to be handled by this character for much longer. Again, not that he cared.

"His name is Munkustrap. He will never see the light of day but for in the reflection of the moon; he will live in the darkness and his fur will darken so that the likes of his being will blend seamlessly into the shadows of the midnight, his soul will sway with the power and subtlety of a thousand full moons. But he should be wary as out of the darkness comes..." Vahtise trailed off, eyes fixated on the small tabby in his arms. Gently he stroked the faint stripes racing across his fluffy white face.

Macavity swallowed hard. His parents exchanged worried glances. Tugger gurgled. The room felt filled with cotton, no sound could penetrate it.

Deuteronomy stood, startling the soothsayer who nearly dropped the young Munkustrap in his fright. "He will grow to be a very strong tom. This night terror will keep you two busy in the wee-hours."

Grizabella thanked him when he handed the kitten over to her once again where she lay him flush against his littermate. "Munkustrap will never see? That doesn't sound very nice."

"No. Not nice at all," grumbled Deuteronomy, who stood to follow the retreating Vahtise out the den for what Macavity knows to be 'private words'.

With a small sigh Macavity watched his father disappear to chase down Vahtise, leaving him alone with his mother and brothers. Munkustrap started to cry, and when Macavity heard his father's chastising voice grumbling lowly from outside the den he too wanted to cry.

Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger, Night and Day. That sounded a whole lot more important than Twilight. He wasn't really even sure what it meant for the sons of Deuteronomy but as far as he was concerned there was a heck of a lot of sun and the Jellicles always danced under the moon, but no one celebrated at Twilight... that he was aware of.

"What are you thinking of, my babe?" Grizabella whispered, bringing Macavity out of his trace. It hadn't occurred to him until now that he'd been staring at his brothers for some time.

In her eyes Macavity saw something dark, cold and calculating. It created a terror in him not disimilar to the time he'd gazed up the muzzle of a rabid pollicle moments before his father and uncles rammed a steel rod through its deranged skull. What would he find in his brothers' eyes when they finally opened? They must have some likeness to her.

He wondered if they would see the same void that he saw in their mother. "I'm tired," he said slowly, rubbing his eyes to avoid looking at her directly. "I wanna go to bed."

"You're not going to stay up for the rest of the Ball?"

"No."

Grizabella smiled sweetly, lifting the corners of her mouth like any other mother's smile except that hers never reached the darkness in her eyes. "Just wait until your father gets back so he can take you home."

Dumb luck just so happened to bring his father back into the den just moments later, where Macavity wasted no time in grabbing his father's paw and stating "I'm going home" before pulling out into the Jellicle night.

"Goodnight, darling!" Grizabella's voice called after him on a backdrop of mewling kittens. He didn't look back.

The light from the moon made everything look bright and new like a funny black and white day. Macavity could see into every shadow and sometimes the glare of moon in a passing window made his eyes hurt- it was so bright! It made him think of his first Jellicle ball last year and how his father and he stole away to the pond to drop pebbled in the water and watch them sink to the bottom. This year was brighter, he wondered if they could see the bottom of the world.

Deuteronomy anchored him to an even walk once they'd broken through the wall of Jellicles eager to see the new members of their noble monarchy. "It's a special thing to be born on the night of the Jellicle moon," his father sighed, wrapping a comforting arm around Macavity's shoulders. "But remember that it's not the circumstance of your birth that makes a cat."

Then why did they get these ridiculous prophecies? "They're going to need a strong big brother to look up to, Macavity. It'll be up to you to make sure they grow to be good strong toms."

It was a lie, Macavity knew, but he also knew his father was right. How else would these kittens grow up right if we wasn't around to show them? His parents were busy and if they weren't around to watch over his brothers then they would have to go to the nursery- or worse yet they would be tutored by Vahtise. That loony wasn't going to let his unfortunate brothers grow up believing in silly things like magic and fairytales; they had to learn practical things like how to hunt and sneaking a quick snack from Jenny's mice.

And protect them.

"I'll think about it," he said. Though his heart had already decided he would.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! I'm back with another chapter for you guys! Just letting you know that I will be posting every Monday (thereabouts) I do have to work and soon I'll be back in school so I may have to negotiate posting day but I will try my best to be as consistent as possible.**

**Spread the word if you like the fic! The more support I can get on this story the better :D Plus it's always fun to hear critiques and suggestions. **

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Years passed since the birth of the twins and Macavity had found pleasure in his role as big brother. If asked many Jellicles would admit that Macavity was rather fond of his brothers, albeit he was also very fond of giving them trouble. Especially the youngest, the leopard-spotted Rum Tum Tugger.

Tugger was a rather curious fellow from the start; he had a nasty habit of having an appetite for everything but what his parents set before him at mealtimes, he had a rather unusual fear of the dark, and he had such a strong disregard for authority it was almost a disorder. So strong that it often resulted in a frightening lack of willing kittensitters.

Which was usually resolved with the chore falling on Macavity... whom Tugger happened to listen to the least.

As for the other brother, Munkustrap, well he had to be careful with him; many would perceive his brotherly affections as cruel- though Macavity insists that he would do the same regardless of his brother's blindness. He accepts that maybe Munkustrap's inability to see makes it easier to lead him into muddy puddles or sneak up on him (which is becoming rather hard with Munkustrap's budding paranoia). So for the purposes of harassing and abusing his power as the older, smarter sibling, Munkustrap was the least favourite sibling of Macavity.

Unfortunately Munkustrap doesn't heed their truce and often teamed up with Tugger on his malicious quests to turn Macavity into a homicidal lunatic.

Like right now.

"Every time!" Macavity growls, flipping over the twins' pillows and blankets, shoving his nose into the many hideyholes and "secret" compartments (the old ones Deuteronomy found out when they still belonged to Macavity).

In a string of blue expletives Macavity darted out of the den and set his nose to the ground for a scent. Of course he would find their scents- countless trails pittering off in every imaginable direction, stale and lingering from the lack of rainfall. None of them fresh enough to stand out. But Macavity was certain the little cretins were out there.

Panting he cleared the small trails until he broke into the wide expanse of the main common area. His eyes immediately pinpointed the small cluster of kittens tumbling about with Asparagus and Skimbleshanks as sentry. They weren't yelling at him so his screaming mess machines for brothers hadn't been by here. With a huff Macavity turned to leave.

"Oh- Macavity! Macavity wait!"

Oh for Bastet's sake, not now. Sounds of teeth squeaking and grinding against each other filled his ears when he turned around to see his least favourite prophet trotting over. "What is it, Vahtise?"

"I..." he paused under Macavity's penetrating gaze and the ginger tom could have sworn he saw the tom tremble a little. "I need to cancel the twins' lesson for today; my mate is in labour."

That gave Macavity a start; since when did Vahtise have a mate? And a pregnant one at that! With new eyes Macavity glanced over him. His short stumpy stature, the greying black coat, that ever-present smug smirk on his angular hollow face... whomever had taken _him _as a mate surely could have done better-Wait, did he say he was cancelling?! "Great!" Macavity laughed and clapped his dusty paws together. Now he had an extra hour to find the little critters. "Just what I need."

Vahtise smiled sheepishly and drew a tentative breath, tossing a glance back over his shoulder with the nervousness of a tom facing his executioner. It made something inside the ginger tom giddy when the taunting upward curl of Vahtise's cool smile disappeared, especially since he was the only one who could make it so. "P-please send your father my condolences; I hope he won't be too upset-"

"Oh I don't know, I wouldn't count on his sympathy so readily," Macavity lied, "Deuteronomy's been somewhat unsure about you since... well... since you refused to teach me."

Vahtise grew wide eyed and absently chewed his lip. "It's just that I- there wasn't anything we could..."

"Hey, Vahtise! What are you still doing out here?" Both toms turned in time to see Coricopat trotting over with the biggest smile on his face. While the goofy grin was enough to deter Macavity from tearing into the soothsayer it hadn't the potency to quell Vahtise's nervous energy.

With a parting glance at Macavity the older tom ran to Coricopat's side where they shared a rather friendly hug. It was Coricopat who looked back, worry playing in the darks of his already pitch eyes.

_To think we didn't have enough freaks around. _It was probably best if he got to finding those brothers of his.

It would come as no surprise to anyone that Macavity would find Tugger in the smallest clearing surrounded by torn steel, sharp edges, and more than enough ways to permanently disfigure a reckless kitten like himself. Some may even say that it would also be unsurprising that he was presently wandering this death trap with the aid of a blindfold. "Marco!"

"Polo."

"Marco... MAAAAARCO!"

Behind him a small voice stifles a runaway chuckle. "P-polo."

Arms flailing, Rum Tum Tugger stumbles around until he's about where he think he should find that pesky- "Polo?"

"YOU MOVED!" wails Tugger, whipping to the right and storming towards the equally indignant "Nuh-uh!"

Self-preservation to the wind Tugger opted to sprint across the short distance to catch his elusive Polo. In total he was sprinting, blind, unsupervised, and loose in the equivalent of a rusty knife haven. "I got you, you pest-"

"TUGGER, NO!" A swift paw snatched him by the scruff and sent him crashing back onto a thin, bony body that should have been the last candidate for catching falling kittens. He landed on the ground loudly gagging on the sudden whoosh of air exiting his lungs.

On this back, Tugger reached up and yanked the scratchy burlap fabric from his eyes. "Macavity?" he rasped, still stunned.

Instantly Macavity was on his feet, bending low to sink his claws into Tugger's scruff and yank him to his feet and then off his feet to dangle eye-to-eye with his ginger furred brother. "What did I tell you about leaving the den?" he growled lowly, smoke practically billowing out of flared nostrils and eyes burning hotly into him. Macavity spotted the blindfold and ripped it from his grasp, crushing the strip of fabric in his paw. "And what is this?!"

Squirming, Tugger let out an irritated mewl his paws reaching up to pry himself free. "We were bored! C'mon, Mac, you're gonna mess up my mane."

Macavity dropped the kit back onto all fours and squinted through the glare of reflected light that made the small clearing impossibly hot. "How can you stand it out here?" he wondered aloud, using his paws to block the blurry beams of light. "Where's Munkustrap?"

From primping the overgrown fur of his scruffy shoulders- or what Tugger so proudly announced to be his mane- the blonde kitten shrugged and pointed his chin at the blindfold, mumbling "I dunno."

"You let him hide? In here?! And to think you're supposed to- Ugh, Munkustrap come out now."

"He said he wanted me to seek this time-"

"SHUSH OR I WILL SHUSH YOU!"

Moments pass by without a response. Just the sound of Tugger's tongue working the smudges of dirt from his leopard spotted arms. Macavity's paws itched, moments away from tearing the junkyard apart piece-by-piece. "...Polo."

Tugger sniggered. Macavity did not seem nearly as entertained. In fact, the moment Munkustrap's small voice echoed from the nearby lean-tos of scrap metal Macavity stomped over, tore the covering piece of particle board, and in one swift move yanked his brother's smelly hide out into the boiling clearing. Munkustrap emerged from the trash kicking and screaming against the hold on his scruff.

Macavity stared into those blank unseeing eyes, the effects of his murderous stare lost on this blind kitten. "Lemme go, you big boob!"

"No." Macavity tossed the silver tabby beneath his arm, making sure to give the silver headfur a hard tug to make up for the lost effort of his patented stare. "We're going home; Mom and Dad should be getting back before sundown."

"Sundown isn't for, like, another forever!" Macavity reached down and snapped Rum Tum Tugger too under his arm ensuring no means of escape for his two troublesome brothers. Tugger's protests were loud and relentless... as would be Macavity's migrane in a few minutes if he didn't get these two to shut their waggling chins.

Together the three screaming, crying, brooding sons of Deuteronomy stomped into the clearing- well Macavity did all the stomping, the other two were profiting from a free ride. "You know what, one day I'm gonna be bigger than you and I'm gonna push you over because you're so mean," Munkustrap threatened from under the right arm.

"And I'm gonna do something too but I'm not gonna tell you because then you won't know it's coming," Tugger growled, ramming his knee hard into Macavity's thigh from under the left arm. Munkustrap gasped and amended his previous promise with "Actually! Actually I'm not gonna do that but I'm gonna do something you don't know too!"

"I can't wait." They passed by a group of Jellicles crowding near a den dotting the perimeter of the main clearing, Macavity tried to ignore the curious gazes of the younger tribes members, the older ones had already grown accustomed to the wails and petulant demands of the twins and Macavity's ashamed expressions.

"Oh Macavity!" called the strident voice of another kitten named Bombalurina; a queen already too far ahead of her friends in the nursery to fit in. Come to think of it she wasn't all that much younger than he... "Have you heard the news?"

Macavity shuffled the tom kits under his arm; Munkustrap grunting and prying pathetically at his arms, Tugger grinning foolishly up at Bombalurina and trying to yank what would be the best parts of his mane from between his and Macavity's bodies. "We're finally getting rid of these two menaces?" he teased.

"No, not yet, but Vahtise and Tantomile are having a kitten!"

_Oh yeah, that. _"I did hear. Pretty crazy stuff."

"I know, right? Who would have thought that Tantomile would be a mother. Anyway I have to get back; Demeter and I want to see the kit the moment it's born."

Bombalurina spun with a sensual flair twice her age and sauntered off to sit with her friend Demeter. "By babe!" Tugger hollered.

Macavity bent down to give him a firm bite to the ear. "You stay away from her, she's trouble."

"Mom said she's going to grow up like her mother and rob cradles," Munkustrap chirped matter of factly.

"What? Bombalurina's mom doesn't rob candles you nut!" defended Tugger, his eyes never leaving the swaying scarlet backside- that is until Macavity put an end to the perversion with a firm clap over Tugger's buggy eyes. Munkustrap dropped to the ground with a sharp yelp.

"Run, Munk!" Tugger yelled and grabbed Macavity's only free paw.

Macavity tore his hand from Tugger's face and plucked Munkustrap by the scruff before the blind kit ran off and skewered himself. "No more running. We're going home."

It was early evening when their parents finally came back to the den, Grizabella first with the remnants of a smile on her lips and the smell of rabbit on her breath. The moment the curtain swung shut behind her she fell back into her seemingly chronic state of despair; face ashen and tail trailing limp behind her. "So I hear Tantomile had her litter today. That must have been exciting."

Macavity looked up from his meal at his mother's exhausted face as she picked a burr from her luxurious coat. He felt about as unexcited as she sounded. "I didn't really stick around," he replied hollowly.

Grizabella nodded and lapped away the last of the debris in silence. Long, awful minutes passed by between them and Macavity realized for the first time how quiet the world was when the twins weren't trying to tear it apart. But even the most dedicated tyrants had to sleep. "Did you feed your brothers?"

Macavity hmmed in the negative and buried his nose back into the side of his half-eaten mouse. In the corner of his eye he could see her mouth tighten as she drudged up the energy to berate him again on the importance of regularly feeding his rambunctious brothers. In all honesty Macavity truly believed they could do with less feeding; they were already getting too big to carry around by the scruff. As far as he was concerned if they weren't wiling to eat their own tails then he wasn't going to stuff an entire mouse down their gullets.

Suddenly Deuteronomy burst into the den, three fat mice dangling from his maw and a huge smile stretching from ear to ear. "Did you hear the news?"

"That the tribe's most demented got together and made a super freak?"

"Macavity-!"

"You were thinking it too, Mum!" Macavity spat, "We all know those two have been getting their paws dirty in... in... _witchcraft_. Everlasting knows whether that kitten isn't some sort of Satanic curse that'll eat out our eyes when we sleep. You yourself said we should have gotten rid of Tantomile a long time ago."

"Who's eating eyes?" It was Munkustrap who spoke softly from the bankets at the far end of the den, freshly awaken from his nap. Tugger slept soundly in the blankets beside him.

"No one," Deuteronomy grumbled, shooting a murderous glare at the others. "Why don't you come get something to eat? After we can go see Vahtise's new kitten."

Munkustrap rubbed the sleep from his eyes, padded over and picked up the smallest mouse to groggily pick at. "Is Tugger and Macavity coming too?"

"Nooo," Tugger whined in the blankets at the mention of his name. Macavity tried to look polite as he shook his head no; he'd jump in the pond head first than voluntarily be in the same room as Vahtise and his sordid kind. Munkustrap frowned but didn't push the issue further.

"Looks like it's just the two of us."

Macavity wasn't the least bit thrilled when Munkustrap polished his meal and bolted for his father's legs to trip him in the direction of the door, eager to see the new kitten. Was it a tom or a queen, he'd asked, what colour was it- could it be green? Would Mummy and Daddy love Munkustrap if he'd been born green? Macavity ground his teeth and fought the urge to pull his brother back. "Be careful," he bid just as the last of Deuteronomy slipped out the den.

All too quickly he was alone with his mother and brother. That migraine was returning. "I'm going out."

"Okay," Grizabella sighed. Relieved. "Be safe."

_Not for your sake_, and Macavity was gone.

He was at least thankful for the cloudless evening; the bright swirls of orange and poppy streaking across the horizon in a farewell to the sun. In the other direction the sky faded to rich blues and small ribbons of purple, lending their inky colour as backdrop to the tiny pinpricks of stars. Inside his den with his family Macavity felt truly alien; he was a kink in his family's knit- his mother could barely stand to look at him and he hadn't the slightest reason why.

But out here, with the stars and sun trading posts in the high heavens he knew his place.

And, like every evening, he stole away to be in it.

It was just after sunset when father and son leisurely strolled into the main clearing. Clouds had quickly moved in and obscured the waxing moon and threatened rain despite an otherwise beautiful night. "... and I swear it was as big as me, I could've got eated!"

Deuteronomy laughed at another of Munkustrap's stories; a tale of his first encounter with a squirrel on one of his walks with Vahtise- naturally with embellishment. "I'm sure it would have gobbled you right up! Tabbies are squirrels' favourite snacks!"

Munkustrap snorted and squeezed Deuteronomy's paw. "That's a lie! Macavity said they eat plant-stuff."

"I must be mistaken then-"

"Oh!" Munkustrap gasped. His face lit up with a toothy lopsided grin. "I can see you now."

No longer in need of guidance Deuteronomy let go of his son's paw and gave him a moment to blink away the last of his hazy eyes. The milky black of his eyes cleared up and the clouds gave way to reveal Grizabella's glowing green irises. He remembered her elation when Munkustrap first looked up at her, alert and seeing with those wide emeralds. She hated that none of her sons looked much like her so she was thankful to have that much. She was yet to be convinced that Rum Tum Tugger and Macavity had her theatrical flair and lust for drama..

Deuteronomy smiled deeply with a gentle stroke of his son's fur. It was decided that they could profit from a detour of the junkyard.

"I don't like that I can't see all the time," Munkustrap stated climbing deftly up a steep stack of milk crates and leaped onto a tall-backed chesterfield belly first.

It was a conversation they've had many times before on the nights Deuteronomy had the energy to take his kits out on a walk. "It's not for always," he reminded the silver tabby, "There'll be plenty to see when you go to the Heaviside Layer."

Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say as it made Munkustrap frown and stick out his bottom lip. "But I won't get to see you in the Heaviside Layer because you'll be reborn."

"How about I wait for you there? Then we can be reborn together."

Much better. Munkustrap grinned and returned to his fantastic feats, clawing up the back of the seat and balancing on the narrow lip of the sofa while keeping instep with Deuteronomy's kitten-friendly stride. "Okay... but I don't want to go right now."

"That sounds good to me."

With a bit of help Munkustrap landed safely on the ground and together they made their way to Vahtise's den- or perhaps Vahtise _and Tantomile's_ den? Vahtise met them at the threshold with warm hugs and hysterically proud smiles. "Ah, I've been expecting you, though I wasn't sure when you'd be arriving- Tantomile Deuteronomy and Munkustrap are here- Please come in, do mind the mess." He jumped erratically around in search of pillows for the guests but soon found all had been occupied by Tantomile and the kitten, to which Deuteronomy insisted they'd rather stand.

"Hello Munkustrap, are you curious to see the kit?" Tantomile, who seemed terribly tranquil and beautiful sitting slumped in her nest with the newborn in her arms, beckoned the tom-kit over. Munkustrap nodded and none too subtly rushed to her side to peer expectantly in her arms. "Have you ever seen a newborn before?"

Munkustrap's eyes were wide and his jaw dangling when he'd discovered a small white face amongst the bundle of blankets. "Is that _it_?!" he exclaimed, mortified by its impossible tininess. "How big are its paws? Does it have teeth- how can it chew its food? Where's the tail-?"

"Munkustrap," Deuteronomy warned.

Tantomile chuckled and reached into the blankets to pull out a white socked paw. "It's alright, Deuteronomy, he's just curious."

"You're lucky Rum Tum Tugger's not here."

Just then the tomkit slapped his hands over his cheeks and gasped, "How does it use the litterbox! Those paws are too tiny, he won't make it in time!"

As Tantomile bravely faced the onslaught of questions Vahtise took the opportunity to pull Deuteronomy aside and snuck the two of them out of the den unnoticed.

"I didn't think you were expecting so soon," Deuteronomy murmured, careful to remain out of earshot.

Vahtise drew a tired paw across his face and nodded. "Yeah, he was definitely premature. Jennyanydots advises that we don't name him just yet in case he... he doesn't make it."

"That's probably for the best."

The black tom chuckled suddenly, lowly at first but he soon erupted in a bout of booming laughter. "He's going to be fine, Deuteronomy! The boy is going to be just fine- by George will he be!"

With an excited twirl Vahtise reached out and grabbed Deuteronomy by the shoulders. Their faces rested just inches apart. "He spoke to me, Deuteronomy."

"He... _spoke _to you."

"Yes! Just after the birth. There I was, holding my newborn son, and I could hear his voice- not a kitten voice but like a grown tom was speaking right into my ear. He told me his name and he told me not to worry that there were great things ahead for _all _of us. And he sounded just like me only-"

"What do you mean, great things?" Deuteronomy demanded dubiously. "What kind of great things?"

But Vahtise was lost somewhere in the clouds searching, as if for his infant son's image moulded in the sky. "He said he had a purpose here- he wouldn't say what but I trust it's nothing if not to exact the grace of the Everlasting Cat herself- I mean, what else could this possibly suggest?! Deuteronomy, I've read kittens in the past- Hell, I've read your own sons!- but they never _spoke _to me, it was all just images and ineffable knowledge. This was something far beyond that."

Deuteronomy took a step back, sliding from Vahtise's grasp which earned him a hurt look though the grin remained plastered across his friend's face. To avoid revealing the truth of his doubiousness Deuteronomy tipped his chin to the ground and licked his lips. "What... what did he say his name was?"

Starry eyed Vahtise laughed airily as he pushed his fingers through his matted headfur. Softly laughing he exclaimed "Mistoffelees!"


End file.
